Local Song Thu ship-builder launches a dredger, the TSHD2000, for Russia's Rosmorport company in 2015. — VNS Photo Cong Thanh

DA NANG (Biz Hub) — The local Song Thu Shipyard Corporation has agreed to co-operate with Vostochnaya Verf shipyard (Primorye), Russia in the production of cruise ships for tourism development in Viet Nam.

General director of Đa Nang-based ship builder, Ha Son Hai said the two sides will start construction of ships to serve local property developer Sun Group's tourism projects in Đa Nang, before expanding to mass production in Viet Nam's market and for export.

Hai said Song Thu had inked an agreement on education, science and innovation development projects with the Admiral Nevelskoy Maritime State University, in Vladivostok, Primorye of Russia.

Russia is a very new market for local ship builders when it launched a dredger, the TSHD2000, for Russia's Rosmorport company in 2015.

Song Thu Corporation, which is a major shipbuilder in Viet Nam, in co-operation with the Damen Group from the Netherlands, has exported 40 vessels, including fast-crew supply ships, rescue ships, salvage tugs and drive tugs, besides patrol boats to the Middle East, South America, Europe and the domestic market, with an annual export volume of US$55 million.

The company also constructed four oil tankers for Australia's DMS Maritime and two Stan Patrol ships, SPA 5009, for export to Venezuela, and two Azimuth Stern-Drive Tug (ASD) ships to Gabon in 2014-15.

The company was assigned as the National Centre for Oil Spill Risk Response in the central region.

In 2015, the chambers of Commerce and Industry from Đa Nang and Russia's Union Primorye signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on trade, investment, export, and tourism as well as boosting exports from Russia to ASEAN through the East-West Economic Corridor that links Viet Nam, Laos, Thailand and Myanmar via Đa Nang port. — VNS